The Devil's Advocate
by Chaser Of The Moon
Summary: He would save himself...even if he had to sell his soul to the devil. Meet Sasuke, a vampire slave with half human/half vampire blood. In a world with clearly defined groups, where everything is black and white, just where does he belong?
1. Chapter 1

**Full Summary**: Vampire slaves were condemned from the moment their bodies took shape in their mothers' womb. Forced into a life of servitude, and punished for sins that weren't their own, they were bound to their masters for eternity. Sasuke, Neji, Gaara, and the freed slave Naruto try to survive their masters and each other while discovering the power and capacity of the human heart.

**Pairings:** _Sasuke-Sakura, Neji-Tenten, Shikamaru-Ino, Naruto-Hinata_

**Disclaimer: Naruto and Co. are owned by Masashi Kishimoto. All rights reserved. **

* * *

_What you're called doesn't mat__ter, it's what you answer to_

* * *

A pale hand reached out and grabbed the book with the golden binding. So many books were crammed onto that specific shelf that she had to tug harder to get it out. 

But it was no problem for her; she held amazing strength inside her five foot seven, heavily curved frame. And she knew it.

The dim over head light in the cool room blinked once, casting new shadows on the walls. It reminded her of a horror movie scenario but in any case...she was the monster. Maybe not a dangerous, homicidal monster but there was something in her that made people sweat.

Men especially.

She smirked to herself at the thought, running a tongue over her sharp teeth. She set the book on a small table in the center of the room and pulled out the chair.

_Prince Altair's Book of Mythical Monsters and Their Slaves Vol. 12_: it read in Gothic letters. The dust did nothing to hide the beauty of the old, worn book. She blew on it to clear it up a bit, not even sneezing when the particles swam into her nose.

Nothing could hurt her; she was beyond any physical pain. She opened the book to a certain page, the one with the red tassel book mark.

It read: _"...although mermaids and merman are not the only ones the have subordinates...are a lot nicer to their slaves..."_

Wrong page.

She turned her neck back to where she took the book from, the books that used to be around it slanted to the left. Prince Altair had written fifteen volumes of his monstrous encyclopedia but only five were found after his palace was burned down. He never wrote them in any order, alphabetically or by importance, so to find what one was looking for one had to be extremely patient. The man also wrote extremely small so perfect eye sight was needed.

After all, it was written for a vampire by a vampire.

The Slug Princess, as she was called, flipped through the pages at a relaxed rate. The entire room, shaped like a square, had book shelves from floor to ceiling and along every wall. And all of them were about a different species.

Animal, human or otherwise, it was all there. The old one called it the Hall of Overflowing Knowledge while everyone else said it was the "Cluttered ass book room". Both were true in a way.

Her perfect colored nails, sharp yet elegant, turned the page and found what she had been looking for.

_The vampire and his slave. _

_"...but the undead have their own masters as well. These slaves are the most obedient, for they have the most to loose. While werewolves and night demons chain their human slaves, the undead take their own kind as slaves. While I was living in the Orient, I had a run in with a self proclaimed vampire slave. He catered to his Master's every whim and bared the pain of his disobedience..." _

_"...Madara Uchiha was the one I met after the slave. Although he was also marked by a Master, it infuriated him. He swore like an incompetent sailor and met with many ladies, though he never took one of his own. His Master, the Snake Charmer, was merciful in his requests. Lord Uchiha was high in society and many questioned why he seemed to disappear before dawn. I followed him...he visited his Master at the Castle of Ember and reported to him..." _

_"...I only saw once how it was that vampires disciplined their slaves. Lord Uchiha had refused a command and his Master was enraged. The Master had made eye contact with him, simple eye contact. I could not understand what would hurt about the Master's eyes until I looked at Lord Uchiha. His eyes were great deal lighter than I had remembered and a strange scarlet color. Black symbols swirled in them. 'You see', the Master said, 'Slaves that disobey become blinded. Slaves that talk back become blinded. Slaves that are not respectful become blinded. Sight is the slave's most precious sense, it would be a shame if my pet lost his'..." _

_"...he called this eye technique the Sharingan.." _

_"...their slaves are not vampire, not human. Somewhere in the middle and completely insane. They are like rabid dogs unless they are well educated like Lord Uchiha. If their minds are not filled with Latin phrases or geography or literature, their instincts take over..." _

_"...they have no fangs unless angered..." _

_"...no enchanting gaze unless weakened..."_

_"...vampire slaves. Slaves bound by invisible threads and threats...it was something I had to see. I was taken by the Snake Charmer's subordinate, the town doctor, to see the other slaves. They were all marked in some place visible for the Master to see...all had dark curved tear shaped, or blood drop shaped, marks on the backs of their necks. I was told that it controlled the slaves that couldn't be blinded like Lord Uchiha..." _

_"...it did not explain why Lord Uchiha still had the mark..." _

_"...the Master called it a Cursed Seal because of what it did to his slaves..." _

_"...trapping the mind and body in an eternal give and take..." _

_"...sometimes called it Cursed Seal of Heaven just to mess with his slaves' minds..."_

_"...I did not meet with Lord Uchiha for years..." _

_"...the next time he graced me with his presence, something was amiss about him..." _

_"...fangs were longer, hair was longer...and his eyes spoke of emerging darkness..." _

_"...he was fully turned..." _

_"...he was free from enslavement but it came with a price..." _

_"...all the future members of his new clan of vampires...were promised to his Master as slaves..." _

_"...he courted one woman and had many children with her...all of which were half vampire, half human..." _

_"...all half breeds were to be kept as slaves for their sires or masters until they were either set free or worn out..." _

_"...slaves have the same life span of humans...unless they are promoted from slave to servant..." _

_"...servants are the master vampire's closest friends...but they are still subordinates..." _

_They described him so accurately,_ She stopped reading and sighed to herself, the sound echoed in the lonely room. Prince Altair was human scholar before he was bitten by a young vampire. He accepted his new life and chose not to become tangled in the courts of the Vampire King. He spent the remainder to his life studying and writing his series about the monsters humans were too ignorant to see.

Or feel.

When humans are first turned, their blood stopped running and their heart slowed down. They go insane. They had the unmistakable urge to turn everyone around them into a monster so they wouldn't have to suffer alone. That's why when wise vampires turned humans they were placed in an empty room. The newly turned would come out angry, hurt and completely hungry for fresh blood.

She stood from the table, rubbed her tired eyes, pushed the chair in and turned off the light. The room was in the back part of the Konoha Valley Academy library and hidden because it couldn't be found from the outside. Students in the library, vampire or otherwise, never knew the room existed. Three book cases filled with nature and animal books occupied the space where a door should have been. But there was a small elevator leading from the library to the teacher's lounge, two floors straight down. It was the only way to get into room without blowing a hole through the wall.

There were no human teachers in the Academy but almost all the students were humans. There was no segregation against the two races, no favoritism either. The most popular students were the most beautiful ones, vampire or human. The teachers, however, were all descendants of powerful vampires. The Slug Princess herself along with the Snake Charmer and the Toad Hermit were some of the oldest of her kind. They were inferior only to the almost ancient Third Vampire King who, despite his age, feared no one and was not afraid to go toe-to-toe with the young ones. Even the vampires of different sects, like rock, water and wind, respected him because he could easily snap their neck in half without physically being near them. He was that powerful.

She stepped to the elevator, pressing the only button and walking in when it opened. There was an absence of light in the tight space but it didn't really matter to her. Her amber eyes could cut through any darkness.

The elevator opened a while later and light washed over her.

Someone was going to get slapped.

Vampires, especially those as old as she was were hesitant when it came to sunlight. They had adapted to garlic and crosses over time but sunlight was different. If a vampire stayed in the sun too long, they would go blind. And then it would hurt because every part of the eye would fry like eggs in a pan. Few vampires died that stupidly. What the Snake Charmer said was right, sight was one of the most precious senses for vampires.

Or slaves.

Her heels made a clicking sound when they touched the waxed floor of the teacher's lounge and came to a stop when she saw who was peeking out the window.

Jiraiya, known as the Toad Hermit to those of their own kind, was using his fingers to look between the blinds. To the Academy, he was the deputy head that patrolled the school with a black walkie talkie and heavy footfalls. His mountain of white hair also made it hard for him to blend in. If the head master was ever away on business, he would take over to school.

He was built like a wild stallion, with wide shoulders and deep muscles that he had perfected in the last one hundred years. Dressed in a black suit with a white collared shirt underneath he looked nothing like the pervert he was.

"Did you find anything interesting?" he asked, eyes glued to the outside world. Whenever he wasn't flirting with her, his voice always took on the serious tone that she liked. It made him sound intelligent and trustworthy.

"No," she walked over to the beige couch near the window, making sure to avoid the light, "Altair only wrote done what the Sharingan did, not how it worked."

"But he knew," Jiraiya let his hand fall away from the window, dimming the room, "Altair was practically Madara's servant, he knew everything." The emerged in a comfortable silence before the bell rang, signaling the end of the fourth period. Tsunade stood up and smoothed down her grey dress, running a hand through her blonde hair before looking over to Jiraiya who was staring at her.

"What?" she asked starting toward the door, "I have a class now, I need to go." He cut her off at the door and kissed her on the lips, ignoring the distance she always tried to make between them.

His lips were so soft and warm.

_Damn you Jiraiya._

He let her go and disappeared into the semi empty hallway, his footsteps fading away into the distance. Tsunade was so angry and surprised she was almost late to her Health Ed. class.

Jiraiya hadn't kissed her in fifty years, why did he start doing it again?

They were lovers after they were turned but it didn't last long. He was too touchy-feely, to enamored with her, while she just liked him. He wanted to give her the world while she just wanted a star from the sky. It took years after their fall out for her to realize the kind of man he really was. Strong, determined, reliable...everything a good vampire should have been. But the worst part was that she secretly loved him but her pride stopped her from saying anything.

The pride of a vampire princess.

* * *

Somewhere on the third floor of the Konoha Academy library, an open book turned its page. 

_"...slaves are bound to their Master for life and beyond. It is the cursed bond that stops them from living life the way they see fit..." _

_"...The Fourth Vampire King, a legendary vampire in his time, was the lover of a loud mouthed mortal woman. I never met her, Madara and his Master despised him, but I have heard that she was a sight to see. The only mortal woman that acted like a hot blooded vampire. They had a son who was half human, half vampire, and as the Code of Fang says 'a complete slave'. The Vampire King did not want to have that much control over his own son so he drafted a document to set his son free. It had to be approved by all the undead of the Council of Fire, a small group of the oldest vampires of the race. The Slug Princess, Snake Charmer, Toad Hermit and the former Vampire King were the only members. Out of them all, the Snake Charmer was the only to have slaves and also the only one to reject the document. It would mean that he would have to set free all of his slaves and he did not want that. Neither did Madara..."_

_"...summoned, or so the legend went, a demon from Hell to attack the Vampire King. The attack caught the underworld cities of the vampires by surprised and took the life of the Vampire King's lover. Distraught and hurting, the Fourth scarified himself for the sake of his son and his race. In honor of his bravery his son was given the term "freed slave". He had no Master but could be controlled by the Vampire King in an emergency. Besides that, nothing hurts the strongest half vampire the world has ever known..." _

Altair then goes to explain how slaves were treated and what their minds looked like.

_"...most slaves had the names Uchiha, Hyuuga, and Sabaku..."_

_"...condemned from the moment their bodies took shape in their mothers' womb. Their seals were different but were visible to their intended Master. Hyuuga was the name for the higher class slaves that were clothed in the finest of silks and they were easily controlled. They practically licked their Master's boots. Uchiha and Sabaku were harder to control. Their blood was tainted by their demon forefathers, something Madara and the Third Wind Lord took pride in..." _

_"...they were as powerful and frail as a wild canine..."_

* * *

Hyuuga, Uchiha, Sabaku, and Uzumaki...slaves that were famous in the vampire world. 

Trapped between two worlds and considered dangerous in each.

But there was something Vampire Masters frequently overlooked. Over time their slaves had adapted and mimicked their Masters' abilities. They had the heightened senses, physical strength and mental capacity as any other vampire despite their small amount human blood. In looks, they rivaled their Masters with their intoxicating eyes and hypnotizing voices. In order to survive, their ancestors became exactly what they feared.

A basic instinct every animal had.

But Vampire Masters chose not to care.

In their eyes, if it could still be controlled...it was a slave.


	2. Chapter 2

Their eyes warmed his back as he walked to his English class, ignoring them with great ease. On a count of his looks, he attracted the attention of every breathing female that he was close to. It was as if his entire body was a magnet and their eyes were shards of metal that couldn't help but jump toward him and stick to him like glue. It got annoying after a while. He could stand human women a little bit. They watched him from afar, but never dared to do anything (because they were human and humans were insignificant little beings that acted solely upon their emotions). When he glared at them, they usually backed off and never met his eyes again. Their fear of him kept them from acting astray.

Vampire bitches were a different story. They didn't fear him like the humans did, they didn't stand near the lockers and swoon as he passed by, he was sure that they didn't even respect him. They knew he was a slave, it was written as over his scent. They could smell the human in him, as little as it was, and they could smell the dark, cold scent of the undead on him as well and they LOVED it. If a vampire girl decided to corner him and make him submit to her desires, he would have to comply.

He was a slave and slaves submitted to their masters, even if their masters were teenage vampire whores that lusted after him with their calculating eyes. The vampire in Sasuke wanted to hiss and slam their heads against the nearest brick wall _(he would MAKE THEM respect him, even if he had to go blind after it). _The human in him was sick to his stomach, yet afraid, _(because that is what humans __**do**__, they are either afraid or not afraid at any given moment in time) _and the smell of fear in his system excites the vampire whores.

It was a well proven fact that when a vampire smelled fear on a human or anyone _close _to being a human, it triggered the release of venom in their mouths. To humans, vampire venom meant death or transformation. To vampires, venom tasted as sweet as ambrosia and the enzymes in the venom told the vampire that the only way to feel _this _good again, was to bite the human. Which they usually did and disposed of the bodies when they were finished. Sasuke stopped near the door of his class room and looked into it, sniffing the air. He realized that there were humans, vampires and slaves all in his class. _Great._

Vampire women differed from human women in only two ways. One was the amount of emotions they showed. Humans were usually very easy to read _(their fear was usually written in their eyes). _Compared to the undead females, human women seemed to be eternally moody and eternally fearful, something that made vampires just hang around for the release of venom. _Some vampires succumbed to venom dependency, they were usually out casted and then killed. Nothing disgusted other vampires more than when one of their own drank as his juices as if they would save his soul. Small doses of venom would not harm a vampire and were recommended for the elderly population, to keep them alive. _

Another way that human women differed from vampire women were their scents. Humans that hung around each other often held variations of the same scent and that made it easy for a vampire to know which humans were friends with one another. Vampires in general held no scent at all. If a vampire woman ever tried to sneak up on him, he would only be able to tell if the air around him turned cooler. Body heat warmed the air in tight spaces but since vampires lacked heat of any kind, a change in temperature was easily detectable.

Sasuke slid into the class room just as the bell rang and straightened his uniform since the Academy was strict on its dress code. The uniform was the color of blood. _How ironic. _Male students wore dark red pants, black shoes, a while colored shirt, a dark red tie and a dark red blazer that no one ever liked to wear. Not only was it hot as hell _(to the humans) _but the color didn't exactly help the vampires who were trying _not _to kill the humans in their class. Not to mention the fact that the uniform made it very easy for a vampire to imagine a human covered in blood. The females wore a skirt instead of pants, with white tights and just basically everything else the males wore. But they, of course being the girls that they wore, always found ways to accessorize and add more shit to their uniform.

Sasuke sat down and opened his reading book in the desk farthest away from the teacher, Professor Kakashi Hatake. The man was fairly tall with spiked silver hair and a face mask that covered one of his eyes. The humans thought it was a fashion statement, the vampires knew better. Kakashi, like all the teachers in the Academy, was a vampire. But he wasn't one of those harmless, vampire-by-family-name vampires, Kakashi was a freed slave. The eye that he never showed was permanently blinded by a Sharingan, a testimony to his life before he became what he used to fear. His original Master was never known, although some fear that it was the Snake Lord, seeing as how he had the Lord's trademark blinding technique. How Kakashi had escaped, how he had the Sharingan in only _one _eye and why he was still alive was still a mystery.

Although he was raised a slave, he certainly didn't act like one anymore. Since he was no longer under vampire control, Kakashi was a Half-Blood and just as powerful as other half-blooded vampires. Ergo, he was one of the teachers the vampire slave students had to look out for because not only did they have to obey his every command, they had to obey it _quickly _or they would be blinded. Other vampire teachers had distilled vampire blood, Kakashi was powerful in more ways than one.

"Hello students," Kakashi said with his typical drawl. His feet were propped up on his desk and he held a distinctive orange book in his hand, not looking up at the class. "Are you ready for a quiz?" The class, except Sasuke and a few others, moaned in protest. They were all whiny little fuckers, especially the humans. "Apparently not," Kakashi looked up and smirked through his face mask, "Turn to page fifty-three. Start reading the first three paragraphs Sakura."

Sasuke's eyes were drawn to the pink haired girl sitting to the right of the teacher, her head facing the open book on her desk. The desks were arranged in a U shape around the teacher so he could see her clearly from where he was sitting. He had never seen her before that day but he suspected that she was always in his English class. He had just never noticed before. It wasn't uncommon for him. He had gone to school for years with a certain werewolf-like vampire until he realized the boy had even existed.

Sasuke frowned, his eyes still on the girl; there was something about her that he didn't like. He first thought it was her pale yet bright hair or eyes because he wasn't used to such coloring on a human and it made his eyes hurt. They were very sensitive because of the Sharingan and it didn't take a lot to make his eyes sting and water. She must have felt his eyes on her, when she finished reading she looked up and locked eyes with him. She was human obviously. He heard, and felt, her heart falter when she saw him and she swallowed noisily. Even after he glared at her she wouldn't look away from him. It was almost as if she was staring him down with her soft eyes, filled with wonder and maybe even pity.

It made Sasuke frowned harder. His hand held enough power to crush a human skull to pieces and he had done it before. He wasn't partically proud of that moment but he no longer held any regrets. It was what his Master had asked of him and he had done it. The Snake Lord hadn't actually said to kill the man but he had just smiled when Sasuke told him the news. _"Well done my pet, you are the most valuable of all my possessions," _he had said with a cold smirk. Sasuke despised that voice, with every strand of his very soul, but followed it without a complaint. His survival depended on it.

"Sasuke," his eyes moved to the teacher, "Continue where she left off." As if he had a choice... If he disobeyed Kakashi, his Master would punish him. His rough, underused voice caused almost everyone in the class to turn to him. Some were probably even shocked that he had vocal chords. He didn't really have many "friends" like the other boys his age did.

He hung around with the Snake Lord's other pets and experiments during his free, although he disliked all of them. They were all like him, super human yet not considered full vampires. They were not called _vampire slaves _like he was, even though that was what they really were. They were, in a way, below the normal vampire slaves and given the name _vampiric experiments. _Their ancestors were sold to the Snake Lord and used for his entertainment.

Even if Sasuke was a slave and a pet of some sorts to the Snake Lord, the experiments respected him to some degree. The Snake Lord took his word above every one else's so they tried, _keyword is __**tried**__, _to stay on his good side.

He finished reading and looked up to find many pairs of eyes on him. If there was anything he hated more than loud colors was drawing attention to himself. To a slave, attention was rarely a good thing.

"Very good Sasuke, it's good to know what your voice sounds like." He could hear the whispers of his classmates at his teacher's comment. The pink haired girl looked at him once before turning her eyes to the book in front of her. What the hell was her problem? Sasuke looked away from her and to his left, seeing gray eyes.

Neji Hyuuga was in almost all of his classes because of his superior intellect, although he rarely talked either. He was also, on the vampire slave scale, a much more important person than Sasuke. His uniform was always ironed and spotless, a sign that he had people that looked after his needs unlike other slaves. Neji walked around with his nose in the air, never looking at the lowly humans. But Sasuke wasn't jealous of Neji, he could never be.

Though the Uchihas could be blinded with the Sharingan, the Hyuugas had it worse with the Byakugan. Unlike the red eyes, the white eyes didn't gradually blind a slave over days. It worked instantly with the Hyuuga's mind so whenever they said something traitorous they were blinded. Sine the Byakugan was the same color as their normal eyes, few could actually know when a Hyuuga was blinded. All vampires could tell. Both techniques blinded the slaves, the Sharingan needed to be in the Master's presence to work while the Hyuuga worked no matter how far the slaves was from the Master.

"Read silently to yourselves there will be a quiz on Monday," Kakashi then said and the class was completely silent. Sasuke read the book, a story about...someone doing something with someone else, until the bell rang again. "Stay out of trouble," the teacher smiled as he dismissed them and stayed seated in his desk reading his orange book. Sasuke was always the last one to leave the room because he avoided the cluster of bodies at the door. He didn't like it when people were closer to him than they needed to be. Someone though, he still managed to bump into someone on his way out.

_Damn my fucking luck_, he thought and looked to see who it was that invaded his personal space. It was the pink haired girl. _Fucking shit. _His book and hers dropped on the floor together and since they were identical they were hard to tell apart.

"Oh I'm so sorry Sasuke! I wasn't paying attention..." _Sure you were, bitch, sure you were. _Sasuke hated that he always got more attention than he wanted. "Hn," he picked up the book closest to him and walked away from her. He didn't notice the look she gave him when he walked away, pure amazement radiated from her gaze.

She was obviously a fan.

Professor Kakashi, fighting to keep a smile off of his face, coughed into his fist. Those two had something that he needed to keep an eye on. Especially the fact that Sakura was the first human Sasuke had actually bothered to look at, even if he did glare. This amused and intrigued Kakashi to no end. The girl had no idea what she was in for...


	3. Chapter 3

Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood. - Marie Curie

* * *

During lunch, Sakura took her normal seat in between her two good friends Ino and Tenten. The former was her roommate while the latter was a year older than them but was one of their closest friends. The age difference wasn't even noticeable if no one mentioned it. They were talking about the annual school dance that was coming up. Well...Ino was talking about it and Tenten was listening while she pushed some noodles around her plate. She wasn't into girly things like dresses with frills or the perfect dream date. 

Ewww...frills.

She had more important things to worry about...like making sure Kin Tsuchi didn't get her kicked off the basketball team.

Fucking bitch. Not only was she a ball hog but she also enjoyed making a fool out of her teammates. Tenten could count the number of times Kin had pushed her down hard or refused to pass her the damn ball. Time and time again she had told her, _basketball is a team sport _or _there is no I in team _but she seemed to be deaf.

"Tenten." She almost never came to practice and when she did she acted like she was the team captain. That was Tenten's job."...Hello...". And she disliked her with a passion. "Tenten!" Ino startled her back into reality.

"What?" she asked, looking up from her food. "What did the spaghetti ever do to you, huh?" she motioned toward her severed noodles. Tenten smiled and put her fork down, looking at them.

"I'm just thinking about skipping the dance." It was as if she said she was about to commit a murder. Ino covered her mouth with her dainty hand and gasped while Sakura coughed, choking on her garlic bread.

They were girly girls after all.

"Why? Don't you want to dance with...," Ino looked around as if she was about to tell the secret of life, "Your boyfriend?".

"I don't have a boyfriend."

"Riiight."

"If you say so."

They never believed her when she said that. They were still stuck in period in time where she had a small, itty bitty crush on...Neji Hyuuga.

It was very short lived.

He didn't talk much and when he did he said something arrogant or against women. She didn't think he was really like that, he just didn't like people. He even said that himself. _  
_

_"I don't like people." _

See, there was the proof.

In the cafeteria, he sat surrounded by other quiet, studious people and stared out the window at the birds on the closest tree. But he never paid much attention to girls. She knew many girls that would trade their left arm to go on at least one date with the quiet, serious Hyuuga but he never even spared them a glance. He was too wrapped up with whatever he was thinking about to care about anyone else. Her friends had tried to gather information on him but he was also secretive. He never said anything about his personal life and the only things people knew about him where what he showed to the world.

So she got over him and moved on. She wasn't one to dwell on things that could never happen, at least those that she had no control over. "You guys are crazy, it was just a crush and I'm over him."

Ino didn't look convinced at all and sipped her mineral water before looking to a table a few feet from theirs where _he _sat. Her friends noticed.

"So Ino," Tenten said casually, "How about you and your boyfriend?"

The blonde smirked at them and batted her eyelashes innocently. "I have no idea what you're talking about", she looked into her water like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"Who would of thought that the school beauty and the school brain would have fallen in love," Sakura sighed dramatically.

Ino looked surprised, "I'm the school beauty? Aww Sakura, thank you."

That was not the reaction they had expected.

"Ino," Tenten looked at her, "Are you going with Shikamaru?".This time Ino blushed and her green eyes landed on the boy in question. He was sitting with Kiba, Choji, Lee and Naruto while they laughed and joked about "man stuff". She had liked him since they were little kids but was too scared to say anything to him.

Ino...afraid...really?

Everyone thought she was conceited and bitchy but her friends knew that she was insecure about a couple of things. Like him. She often told her friends on the phone that she could never have a decent conversation with him because they were so different. He talked about current events, the latest sport scores and the latest book by his favorite author.

Boring.

She couldn't care less about anything that didn't affect her directly, sports were boring and reading anything that wasn't about beauty was boring. In the eighth grade she had tried to "smart up" her image and use the vocabulary words from English in every day conversation but it wasn't her. He had paid attention to her during that time but it probably was because she was acting so phony. Their parents were good friends and frequently visited each other's houses, bringing their kids with them. They practically grew up together.

Which made her even more insecure. He probably knew her better than anyone, including all her faults. All the wrinkles in her personality.

"I don't think so, Temari already asked him," and she had rubbed it in Ino's face. It probably wasn't on purpose but it still hurt her somewhere.

"Is she that tennis player with the scary face?" asked Sakura looking around the cafeteria.

"That's her," Tenten drained her apple juice, "She's got a mean back hand."

"Hmm, I never knew he liked the tough girl type," Ino picked up Sakura's book from the table and skimmed her fingers along the cover.

"You know how he is Ino," Sakura watched as Ino opened her book, "He can't say no to a girl." The color drained from Ino's face. She froze and stared at the book before lowering it down and staring at Sakura.

_...the hell? _

**_Sasuke Uchiha _**

"Sakura...why is Sasuke's name in your book?" Tenten picked up the book and looked in it herself, seeing Sasuke's slanted, cursive signature.

It was true...but why?

"I...," Sakura was speechless and looked at the book while Tenten held it, "I bumped into him and made him drop his book. I must have picked up his by mistake."

Almost simultaneously, they turned their heads to where Sasuke sat. He was surrounded on all sides by angry, muscular guys and their girlfriends. The angriest, most muscular one, with an orange Mohawk, was sitting dangerously close to Sasuke and was talking to him loudly. The smaller dark haired boy wasn't paying attention at all.

"I'll wait till he gives it back," she said with defeat, tearing her eyes from them.

Tenten frowned, "Don't be a chicken, they can't do anything to you. I'll go with you if you want."

"Thanks Tenten," she smiled, "Ino?"

"Are you crazy?" she asked, her light eyes widening, "That guy can sit on me and I'll die."

"Ino," Tenten stood up and looked at her, "Come with us." And then she did it. The older girl had given Ino the puppy dog eyes. No one would have guessed that the star basketball player could have such an innocent, girly look.

"I hate it when you do that."

So together the three friends, plus one book, walked toward the table at the corner of the cafeteria. The walk seemed like the longest Sakura had taken in her life and the nervous feeling she had just wouldn't go away. When they got close enough to be noticed, the group in front of them stopped talking. They glared at the girls with disgust and muttered a few unfriendly words.

"Never thought the mouse would purposely come to the cat."

Kin smirked and crossed her arms when someone told her, "Shut up whore."

"Zaku, I swear if you...," she looked at him, clenching her fist. Her dark eyes pinning him down. He wasn't affect and flicked her on her forehead, running away before she could catch him.

"Shut up!"

"Umm Sasuke," Sakura walked up to him and handed him the book, "I think I picked up your book by mistake."

"Awww Sasuke-baby," Karin slung her arm around his shoulders, he glared at her."Looks like you got a stalker."

_I really don't like her, _Sakura tried to keep her eyes from giving away her feelings.

_That bitch is gonna get slapped, _Ino had no problem rolling her eyes at the red head. "She's not a stalker," she narrowed her eyes, "Why don't you just mind your own business."

Ohhhh.

Burnnn.

Karin sucked her teeth and rolled her eyes at the blonde. Tayuya glared at her, itching to ring her neck. To calm herself down she ran her fingers through her magenta hair a couple of times. She looked over at Sakura and her hair.

Were they related or something?

"Are you trying to start something little girl?" Kin stood up and went nose-to-nose with Ino. The blonde didn't back up, looking at her through her bang.

"Why don't you just shut up," Tenten stepped into the picture, glaring. Sakura looked at her friends, they each had someone they were looking at with anger. In the background she could see Shikamaru and his table looking in their direction. They looked like they were ready to pounce. Kiba especially.

Sakura handed the book to Sasuke without a word and he handed her the book that belonged to her. He looked at her once before falling back into his group.

"Can you bitches take this elsewhere? You're starting to annoy me," the tall, pale man with clear eyes and two red bands keeping his white hair in place. Two red dots were tattooed at the bottom of his forehead.

The Ino and Tenten looked up at the man and decided against saying something else.

He could easily break them in half. And he was so tall.

"Now if you're quiet finished," said the man with high spiked up hair, Zaku "Leave."

"Yea," Tayuya stuck up her middle finger, "Leave before we do something nasty." She sounded so fake.

Sakura looked over her simmering friends and told them that their food was getting cold.

When they were a few feet away they heard: "Yea go eat you fat, blonde pig". A collective gasp was heard on that side of the room and Ino spun around so fat her hair whipped Tenten in the face.

"Fat...pig?" she asked in disbelief, walking toward Karin, "You fu-..." Ino felt someone take hold of her hand and stop her in her tracks. The hands felt rough yet gentle and she hesitated before looking to see who it was.

Shikamaru.

"Just walk away, it's not worth it." He stood there with an attentive expression on his usually gloomy face...and he never looked better to her. She had almost lost it in front of him and felt ashamed of herself. Her eyes roamed his spiky ponytail and trailed down to his perfect dark red pants and white collared shirt. The first three buttons were unbuttoned, showing his tanned upper chest.

Damn...a nerd shouldn't have looked that good. She pulled her hand away from his and walked to meet her friends, not once looking back at him.

"Aww Ino," Sakura tried to smile, "He really cares about you."

"Yea," her smile looked so fake, "He has a thing for blondes." The episode had left them slightly shaken and every few minutes they looked to where Sasuke sat. He was looking in their direction, specifically at Sakura. She could feel his eyes on her just like that morning in English class. She had always seen him during lunch and outside his dormitory but she never had class with him until that year. He was a mystery to her, quiet and serious like the way Tenten once felt about Neji. But Sakura was sure that she didn't have a crush on him, just interest. He never held any interest in girls either as far as she could tell.

"Isn't strange how Sasuke and Neji act the same way?" she voiced her question. Ino tapped her manicured nails against the table and knodded.

Tenten swirled around her cold pasta and took a few mouthfuls before saying, "A little bit, maybe they're related somehow."

"I doubt it," Ino fixed her side bang as she talked, "They don't look the least bit related." Sakura looked down to her book and opened the cover page. Her own signature, complete with a heart, stared back at her.

If only she knew what Sasuke hid behind his signature...

Was is heart made of pure gold like the sun hidden beneath a dark cloud?

Was he a poet? That serenaded girls with his sweet words?

Or was he just misunderstood? Like the dark side of the moon…?


	4. Chapter 4

_"A life with love has thorns but a life without love has no roses"_

* * *

Konoha Valley Academy was a boarding school for anyone who wanted to go. It didn't discriminate between rich or poor, vampire or human. But the teachers made sure to keep the human student-vampire student ratio to 3:1. Most of the vampires in the school were just vampires by name and didn't suck blood like their ancestors did. Some still retained the pale and dark looks of the undead but their bodies never convulsed from the need of blood. 

An example would be Genma Shiranui, the grade placement history teacher that always had either a lollipop stick or a tooth pick in his mouth.

It was an oral fixation or something like that.

His great-great-great-great grandfather was a lesser lord in Madara's court. Since his family never kept slaves, members of the Shiranui Clan were allowed to procreate with humans without repercussion. As the centuries went on the vampire blood weakened until Genma and his siblings were just about one-sixteenth vampires. Amazingly, out of all his seven siblings, he was the only one that actually looked like he was born to suck blood.

He had inherited his ancestor's dark eyes, light skin and dark hair almost exactly. His brother and sisters were tanner and all had the lightest eyes possible, making him feel like the black sheep growing up. His father told him stories every night about their dark ancestor so he wouldn't grow up to be like the lord. He was always looked after the most, like he was a ticking time bomb that would snap one day and start inhaling blood like a leech. He got used to it after a while and enjoyed scaring the shit out of people.

Before he taught at the Academy, the students at his old school spread a rumor that he was really a vampire. Just to be nice, he made sure to wear black every day and red contacts whenever school was over. He got fired for making a girl cry and claimed it wasn't his fault. He always drank tomato juice in a wine glass in the darkness of his classroom. It proved to be a funny story between other vampires.

_"Humans are stupid."_

_"They were actually right this time, kudos for them."_

_"Do you even like tomato juice?"_

_"Where did you get red contacts?"_

Another person the 'vampire by name' rule applied to was the resident wild child Kiba Inuzuka. His ancestor was gun slinging outlaw/pirate/king person or something. Nobody really knew what Lias Inuzuka did when he was alive or what power he held. The only detail that stood the test of time was that his partner was a gray wolf that followed him like a guardian. It was said to be large like a horse yet quick on it's feet like tree vermin. His fangs were said to be dripping with toxins that could never be named because there were so many. And every single one of them was lethal.

The Inuzuka clan bred dogs that they believed were the descendants of the Gray Wolf and never sold any of them. Their ranch was covered with either squirming puppies or adolescent dogs chasing each other all year long. When the number of dogs became to great, they were sent to live with the older Inuzuka vampire generation where they were cared for until they passed.

But Kiba wasn't like an average vampire. He was the perfect example of what could happen when a vampire spent too much time with humans who loved rock and roll. And dirty, fuck-the-law, I-do-what-I-want, suck-my-balls, don't-fuck-with-me music. He even had a silver piercing on his tongue that reflected light when he yelled at someone. It was a good thing that he was immune to silver or he would of screamed and choked on his tongue the moment he got it pierced. It wasn't even his only piercing and he had tattoos all over his body.

In vampire society, it was uncommon for vampires to have more holes than they needed. But Kiba didn't care. He loved his body art and rejoiced every time he got a new one. The one-fourth vampire looked like a bonafide rebel but he acted nicer than he looked. He was the class flirt that everyone wanted to hang out with but they could never get close enough. He frequently argued with his close friends Shikamaru, Naruto, Shino and Chouji but they were the ones closest to him. It was funny seeing them all sit together: a howling vampire, a bored genius, an energetic "freed slave", and two normal humans. Because they had to have _some people _who were normal in the group. They would go insane if they didn't.

The only beings that knew what Kiba was were the vampire teachers, the head master and other vampire or slave students. Humans didn't need to know anything. All of the undead, no matter how much their human blood, were under blood oath not to reveal their secrets. From the most serious, like Neji and Sasuke, to the most rambunctious, like Kiba and Naruto, to the most famous, Hinata Hyuuga, they were all to keep their secrets. Secrets included what they were, what they did, who their ancestors were, what their ancestors did and all their strengths.

No human was ever to know about the Sharingan or the Byakugan.

It was forbidden.

* * *

Jiraiya scanned his eyes around the grounds of the boy's dormitory to the east of the main building, frowning. He was not having a very good day. 

First, that bastard Altair never wrote how exactly the damn Sharingan worked. Altair was a kiss up to Madara so it didn't make sense how he never wrote down how the technique worked. Unless he _did _write it and it was in another volume...a volume that they didn't have yet.

_Damn, I need to tell the Vampire King about this. _

They hadn't seen the _Snake Lord_ in years. He still kept in close contact with his slaves, they knew that, but he was never showed up when they were looking for him. The last time he had taken his absence was before the death of the Fourth Vampire King and every mature vampire that was alive at the time had the same anxious feeling.

_He's planning something. _

They knew that if they could get his closest slave, the Uchiha boy, to side with them his forces would be weakened. Everyone knew he favored that boy and would detest loosing him to his old comrades. But they had to keep it a secret. If the Snake Lord sensed what they were planning, they were as good as human.

Pardon the expression.

First they needed to know how the Sharingan worked, what it did in step-by-step real time to an Uchiha. Tsunade came up with the idea to "experiment" on Kakashi's Sharingan but he never gave it thought. Kakashi was like a grandson to him and he wouldn't appreciate being treated like a lab rat. Nor would he sit still long enough to be examined.

Secondly, that little fucker Zaku was tap dancing on his last nerve. Not only did he openly defy him in the presence of other students but the runt actually had made fun of his hair. Normally he would of laughed at himself and then hand a boy a detention slip for the next two weeks but he wasn't in a very good mood. Nervous vampires, especially full blooded ones, were extremely moody. He was about to strangle him when the tallest one, Jirobo, reminded him what happened to the last time someone had touched on of the Master's slaves.

He was too speechless to even move...so he settled for grabbing him by the hair and dropping him on the floor. No one threatened a Sage, not even mountain sized bastard like him. He never liked Zaku or any of the Snake Lord's slaves. He didn't approve of the way he had used the females and berated the males whenever he got the chance. But as the Code of Fang said: "a vampire that held no slaves could not petition for the treatment of another's slaves".

But he guessed that wasn't entirely true. That Uchiha boy wasn't as bad as he seemed, even though he carried the heavy scent of the devil's messenger. If Jiraiya remembered the man correctly, he was hard to forget, the boy resembled Madara Uchiha in more ways than one. It was probably why the Snake Lord held him in such high regards but not enough to make him a servant.

No...never a servant.

Servants had a will of their own and were free from any Master's pain; the Snake Lord wanted to control the boy. He knew that the Lord also hated the boy and wanted to punish him for something that wasn't his fault. Madara betrayed the Lord by escaping enslavement and becoming a vampire, something that slaves were never meant to do.

And lastly, he had touched Tsunade. On any other normal day he would have teased her that she tasted like coconuts and chocolate and watched when her eyes lit up in anger.

_God how I love it when her eyes light up whenever she's around me. _

He would have whispered illicit comments and questions into her ear and relaxed her with open mouth kisses down her neck. But it was already a bad day and the way she had looked at him after he kissed her was burned into his memory. She looked surprised, like a deer caught in head lights, and her moist lips were parted deliciously in amazement...or disgust.

He left before he could dwell on it. The Toad Hermit never did get over his last mortal lover and his first immortal. They were partners during their mid twenties and when he was turned...he took her down with him.

In one passionate embrace and a bloody kiss to the neck, he had turned her.

He had never meant to make her insane. His nights were haunted by her aching screams and chants as she tried to free herself of the pain. The pain of a new body that ached for what she didn't have anymore.

**Blood.**

He had felt so guilty of doing that to her until they were taken in under the Third Vampire King. Two newly turned vampires would cause chaos in the emperor's samurai filled society. The king had explained that it was Tsunade's destiny to be a vampire princess; he had just sped up the process. The Third had also said it was better that he had turned the vampire princess because he cared for her more than anybody else. He never wanted to hurt her intentionally.

After they were in control of their thirst and sensitive senses, they had tried to get back together but it ended in pain.

They were once shy and polite to each other, blushing at the slight mention of anything that was deemed inappropriate. Like kissing in public. But after they became vampires, their personalities became ignited, sensual and demanding.

A complete one-eighty.

Tsunade couldn't handle being together so early in her eternal life and broke it off gently. Or at least she tried to do it gently. It hurt more than he was willing to admit. Over the next few years he tried to make her jealous with his many trysts with the most beautiful mortal or immortal women in the world. She never said anything to him but her caramel eyes always melted whenever she looked at him.

She then got together with a fairly young vampire named Dan and had planned to spend the rest of their lives together until he died protecting her.

_Yea right protecting her, Minato did everything on his own. He was just too weak to do anything. _

He had always felt like Dan had stolen his woman for some reason and he would dream about killing him slowly and roughly. But victory was bittersweet. Minato was his adoptive son and he was too good to die by such a cowardly attack. All just because he wanted his son to be free. Tsunade was inconsolable following the disaster. She also held Minato close to her heart and losing him plus Dan made her hysterical. Jiraiya was the only one who could get close enough to her without being slashed by her fangs which grew to the bottom of her lower lip. He remembered holding her wrapped in about a million blankets, because he held no body heat, and whispering stories to her on the roof of the Vampire King's castle. They were a bit closer after that.

Every ten years or so, sometimes longer, he kissed her to make sure he kept their fire burning. It always caught her off guard but despite being stubborn and straight forward she never complained about it. Until that day she had never looked at him with disgust. He sighed, wanting his thoughts to go away. Thinking about an unattainable blonde bombshell made his invisible heart hurt.

His attention was then caught elsewhere.

He spotted the familiar hairstyle of the Uchiha boy as he got closer to the dormitory's entrance. A thin cigarette was held between his pointer and thumb, smoke floated out from his mouth. "Smoking is bad for your health," he said, the boy didn't even look startled. He merely glanced at the older vampire and shrugged, gluing his eyes to the trees in the distant. "I'm serious boy," he plucked the cig from his lips and smashed it under his foot, "It murders your lungs."

The Uchiha boy actually had the nerve to look offended. He looked up at Jiraiya in disdain before reaching into his jeans pocket for another one. The sound of footsteps and the opening of the front door alerted them to another company.

Kiba was about to light his own cigarette before he saw who was there. He smiled widely at Jiraiya, ignoring the boy sitting on the stairs. "Sup Professor J, what's new?" Jiraiya could only stare at the boy in mock horror. He never could get used to his "body art". Maybe it was because he was from a different generation...very different.

The boy had four piercing on each ear, four of which were black and the other four were silver. Two silver rings on his lower lobe and another two at the top of his ears. For what he thought were special occasions, the ring on his right ear that was connected by a thin, silver chain to the ring on the side his lower lip.

But only for _special _occasions. Like funerals and weddings. He also had a hoop on his right eyebrow that he loved to show off.

Jiraiya could also see the tattoos that peeked out from the boy's short sleeve shirt. They looked somewhat tribal and expanded every time he had accomplished something. Ink markings could also be seen coming out of his white undershirt, his uniform was in its usual disarray. A silver cross on a small chain dangled on the boy's neck which would confuse any vampire who saw him. Kiba wasn't overly religious, he just liked crosses. It didn't affect him in any way, it was just a myth after all.

"What the hell is wrong with your face boy?" a smirk found its way on the Sage's face. Kiba was one of his favorite students, his looks were a bit...eccentric though.

The younger vampire smiled, "Nothing man, I think I'm pretty sexy. Chicks love the piercings." He took his cigarette out of his mouth and held it between his index and middle finger.

Sasuke snorted, striking a match against its box and lightening another cigarette.

"Loser," Kiba swore under his breath, glaring, "When was the last time I ever saw a chick on ya arm that didn't look like man."

"Look who's talking, dog fucker." Jiraiya was amused so he didn't stop their little squabble until he saw Kiba closing his hand into a fist.

"Stop your arguing, you sound like little girls," he said, ridding them of their cigarettes, "You kids are seriously messed up. No smoking on campus. If you ever set anything on fire, I will make it so you never see the sunlight again. I will personally send you to my European friends and have them train you in their all male dungeons underground for the rest of your lives." They both stopped talking at that, each shivering at least one thing he said.

Kiba loved his bitches, he couldn't imagine life without a girl to smoke, hang, rock out, and mess around with.

Sasuke was a slave so he didn't want to go to Europe or to their dungeons. European vampires were almost always full blooded and much more hard core than they were. They were the original undead and had the animal characteristics to prove it. He would have to do whatever they wanted him to without complaint. He would really be without freedom.

"Sasuke," Jiraiya looked at him. He really didn't want to hurt him but it was the only way for him to know. "No smoking on campus ever." He saw the boy's eyes narrow as he winced. He could feel the hatred radiate off of him like a scorching darkness, like the dark patches on the sun.

Kiba watched in confusion, his piercing rising as his eyebrow did. Sasuke looked up and glared at him, daring him to say something.

"So...uh...can I smoke?" he questioned, trying to look innocent. It wasn't a good look for him. Especially when he looked like the guy with a motorcycle out back, lots of money in his pocket, killer eyes, and someone's girlfriend under his arm.

Jiraiya glared at him but his eyes softened to an extent. Kiba really did look like a werewolf pup when he wanted to. "...No." he said holding his hand out for Kiba's entire pack, "I'm putting you on the patch and buying you the gum."

"Whyyyy?" he asked with sad eyes, "It tastes nasty."

"Kiba, unless you want the Head Master to know about this, I suggest you give me all your cigarettes." He complied and handed him the entire pack with a sad face. Jiraiya held his hand out to Sasuke, "Yours too." The dark haired man reluctantly handed the man his box as well, scowling. The Toad Hermit looked at the boxes in his hands, frowning at how light they felt. "I'm going to dispose of these. Go up to your rooms and brings me down any other source of nicotine. You know how good my nose is, it would be wise to listen to me." He walked away slowly, not once looking back at the two boys.

Kiba and Sasuke glared at each other in silence, shifting uncomfortably. The brown haired boy was the first one to turn toward the door and put his hands in his pockets.

"Uchiha," he said as a goodbye, at least acknowledging him. He didn't like Sasuke, none of his friends did, but the other boy was a slave. He knew but it never occurred to him that other older vampires, without being the Snake Lord, could control him as well. He still didn't like him but he pitied him and that was a start.

"I don't need your pity," damn was he a mind reader too. Kiba didn't even feel mad anymore, just very grateful the only thing that gave him away as a vampire was his last name and his fangs.

"You might need it some day," Kiba answered, opening the heavy door.

Konoha Valley wasn't segregated by human or vampire...it was vampire and slave.


	5. Chapter 5

_"It takes more courage to suffer than to die" _

* * *

Sakura twirled her hair around her finger as she watched Tenten practice shooting free throws. She said the sound the ball made going in the net relaxed her.

Whatever that meant.

It was probably a basketball player thing.

During week days, the Academy gymnasium opened every day from seven to seven every night. During weekends, it opened one hour earlier and closed an hour later. She had volunteered to accompany her friend that morning for some drills. Tenten loved to practice during weekends, the gym was the emptiest on those days. It should have been fuller but students were allowed to venture into the neighboring town, Konohagakure, but curfew was ten o'clock at night. Sakura usually traveled to Konoha with Ino on weekends to shop and lounge around the small town but Tenten had convinced her to stay on campus. And to top it all off, she had woken her up early that morning.

It should have been illegal to wake up before seven on a Saturday.

Sakura wore a loose, black sweat pants, a green shirt and green and black sneakers. She wasn't really into sports but she liked looking the part. Besides, she looked really good as the sporty girl even if that spot was already taken. Tenten wore maroon colored basketball shorts, white and red shirt, and her white basketball sneakers. They still looked as white as they did when she first took them out of their box.

Fifteen minutes into the practice, Tenten noticed the sound of a dribbling basketball coming closer. She stopped moving and looked toward the door, watching as it opened. Sakura rubbed her eyes furiously just in time to see Neji Hyuuga walk into the gym. He paused when he saw that he wasn't alone but kept walking when he saw who it was.

There was a tense silence before Sakura cleared her throat and said, "Hey Neji, do you like to play basketball?"

He frowned and looked at the brown haired girl who was waiting for his answer. "I do," he said and took the opposite court for his throws. He wore brown basketball shorts, a loose white shirt and the same white sneakers Tenten had. It was something small but Tenten couldn't overlook it. His hair, he had really good hair, was tied back in a low ponytail. Some strands escaped their place and framed his face, making him look so sporty.

Sakura saw her friend staring at him, probably lost in a day dream. To her, Neji's movements looked like his feet never touched the ground and he moved so fast she wondered how he would fare against someone...like Tenten. The girl smiled to herself wickedly, easing her way down the bleachers and coming to stand behind her friend. She grabbed the ball quickly and threw it in Neji's direction, praying to God it didn't hit him somewhere. Thankfully it landed to his left and he stopped his game to pick it up for her. He threw it back to Tenten with accuracy, never once looking her in the eye.

"Uh...," Sakura bit her lip nervously, "Neji do you want to play with Tenten?". The older girl's jaw dropped in surprise and was silently glaring at Sakura. _Why the hell would she say something like that? Damn it, if I wanted to play with him I would have asked..._ But deep down inside, she knew she wouldn't have asked. Neji was a loner and he wouldn't want to play with someone like her. He was brilliantly elegant while she was just...normal.

Neji was just as surprised as she was and turned to them. He looked at Tenten and then to Sakura, his gaze lingering on her hair. "I'd...rather not. It's nothing personal, I just play alone."

It was a lie.

It was a mother fucking lie and he knew it. He was starving for company, any kind of company, but he could do nothing about it. The fact that Tenten or Sakura had never said two words to him before that day didn't matter. He was a slave and he was alone.

Sometimes he even envied the Uchiha slave, especially when he was around those of his kind.

The Snake Lord's subordinates always traveled in a pack despite what their purpose was. He would sometimes stare at them during the lunch hour while they conversed loudly to each other. They acted like normal, idiotic, obnoxious teenagers, not expendable pets. They loved to draw attention to themselves, no matter who or what was watching.

His Master had many slaves but they didn't even want to be near him. He was half vampire, half human and they knew it. The lower slaves stayed away from him because he was the closest thing to what they feared and they hated it.

They hated him.

He was also the only slave that used _Hyuuga _as his last name. The others weren't allowed to because they weren't blood related but he was. His father used to be the head of the family until he was murdered.

Or committed suicide.

It didn't really matter, he was dead.

His mother, a human woman he had never met, abandoned him shortly after he was born.

Or so they told him.

That didn't matter either, she was the same as being dead.

After he was parentless, custody went to his father's twin brother. Lord Silver Eyes, a wealthy slave owner that lived most of his life in the presence of high status vampires. He was branded by him on his cousin's third birthday. He was just sitting there, politely eating some expensive birthday cake, when his uncle called him outside to help bring in the Lady's _present_. He had followed, was pinned against the ancient tree in the garden, and branded. His status as clan heir meant nothing to his uncle and he became a slave.

A pitiful slave with a joke of a surname.

Just by being a Hyuuga he should have been proud and held his head up high...but he wasn't and he didn't.

His family stressed having the "_perfect breed of vampires_" and, of course, slaves were not included.

But he was only half! He looked more like a vampire than he did a human, so why did it matter?

He looked like Himazu Hyuuga, founder of the clan, so why did his uncle treat him like a common slave?

He was more than that. He was stronger, faster, smarter...but in the end, his human blood failed them. The thing that was supposed to give him life caused him imaginable pain instead.

That was why vampire slaves were called the original undead. Their bodies and minds had endured so much pain that they should have been dead but they weren't. No matter how much their Masters worked them, they wouldn't die without being given permission first. Death was just another way to escape the system, Masters made sure no slave died before it was his time. They held the life of their laborers in their hands and could crush it when they needed to.

As a child, he used to kick and scream and fight the hold his Master had on him but no matter what he did...he couldn't escape. Sometimes he woke up blinded and sweating from a nightmare, only then he would know that the Byakugan was doing its job.

Darkness was his only companion. He welcomed it like the night sky welcomed the sun every morning. It was either that or letting the fear of falling into an abyss consume his soul.

"Neji?" Tenten asked when he wouldn't stop staring at her. He seemed to awaken from a daydream and met her eyes with indifference before looking down at his basketball. He dribbled it once before throwing it into the bleachers, it bounced off and landed on the floor. The loud noise startled the two girls.

"Let us play then," he said walking toward them.

Sakura pushed Tenten forward, "Umm...on second thought I just remembered I had to get...my...socks from Ino. Yea she steals my socks...every Friday night," she made her way toward the door, "See ya". She threw herself at the gym door, wincing at the pain in her ribs.

_That wasn't very smart, _she rubbed her middle, _but it worked. _

In the gym, Tenten and Neji looked at each other before she passed the ball to him. "Is she okay?" he asked, taking the ball and dribbling it with his left hand.

"She's always like that," she smiled, "Let's start the game."

And the game began. _In more ways than one..._

The gym was near the boy's dormitory. If Sakura had looked north after she had exited it, she would have been able to make out the shape of their Nin Hall through the branches. She wandered around until she saw a familiar figure leaning against a tree.

_Kiba._

He was wearing baggy black pants, black sneaker with red stripes, a red shirt and a black and red hoody. His mp3 player pumped in his ears through his headphones and he moved his head to the beat, his brown eyes closed. All his silver piercing sparkled in the shade of the large tree. When she first met Kiba, she was a little uncomfortable around him. He looked like he would pounce on her if she ever turned her back to him but he proved to be thoughtful and kind.

She didn't think he would see or hear her because of his music but he surprised her by opening his eyes and smiling.

He took his earphones out and swung them around his neck. "Yo Sakura," he eyed her, "Joggin'?"

"Not really," she sighed, scratching her head, "Tenten and I were in the gym before Neji came in."

"Neji?", he asked interested. He had seen the older Hyuuga a few times in the hallways. He was also rumored to be the cousin of Lady Hinata, the richest and most bashful girl in the Academy, but they were never together. They never spoke to each other or even noticed each other's presence which was kind of weird. "Did he do anything to ya two?"

"No, I left them so they could play their game. I'm not into sports much."

"Hmm," Kiba glanced to his right and sucked his teeth, crossing his arms over his trim stomach, "We got company." Sakura looked around and behind her, finding no one in the area. She frowned at him, showing him her confused expression.

He pointed toward the boys' dormitory, Nin Hall, where two boys stood near the entrance. One of them, with short, layered silver hair, was turned toward them. Sakura couldn't see it but Kiba could tell that the twin was glaring mercilessly. His blue lips drawn in a frown. Noticing Kiba, he turned to his brother, his lips moving. He too made eye contact with him, narrowing their eyes.

"Sakon and Ukon right?" Sakura whispered, moving closer to him.

"Yea," Kiba answered, fingering the hoop piercing on the side of his lip. He didn't really care for Sasuke's friends. If they could even be called that. He had never spoken to any of them but they hated him somehow. They glared whenever he passed, stopped talking when he looked their way, and showed him their fangs if he was close enough.

He knew it was because of his blood but he didn't care. He might have looked like a punk but they were the ones that acted like pussies. Their bitches weren't even cute.

"Why are they looking at us like that?" she questioned, he could detect a soft waver in her voice.

_Because you're human and I'm one fourth vampire...fucking..._His thoughts were cut off when he saw them come closer.

Sakon, the younger twin, wore long dark blue jeans, a grey t-shirt, and brown flip flops. A dark red beaded necklace hung around his neck. His twin Ukon wore the same jeans and flip flops but his shirt was white instead of gray.

"What do you want?", Kiba asked, acting disinterested. He could smell how nervous Sakura was and it made him uneasy. Whenever humans got nervous or were startled, their adrenaline went crazy. Their legs start to tingle like ants are crawling all over them and their heart pumps more blood into their muscles to make escape easier. It was called the fight-or-flight response. It gave the body extra power to either run like hell away from danger or fight like hell if they were backed into a corner. Early humans depended on the response to survive the harsh world they lived in.

Vampires had no such response.

Even those like Kiba, who were more human than vampire, had to rely on his vampire instincts to live. Instincts and stereotypes like hissing, growling, blinking against the sun, running away from holy water and snarling at garlic. Almost all vampire stereotypes created by human authors.

If a full blooded vampire was to ever attack a human, nothing could save it.

"Nothing," Sakon smiled mischievously, looking at Sakura.

"We were just wondering who this little cream puff was to you," Ukon said, he also smiled and Kiba could see his fangs poke through.

Before Sakura could answer, he said, "Mind your business." He threw and arm around her shoulder, pulling her close to him. Luckily, Sakura didn't question him.

"Oh," Sakon edged closer, "Is she your..."

"Little sweetheart, Inuzuka?"

"Why does it matter?" he questioned, feeling Sakura's heart pound through her back, "Like I said it ain't none of your business."

"On the contrary...," Sakon leaned against his brother, smugly.

"It matters very much to us." Kiba wanted to fucking punch them in the face. His patience was running thin. They acted like those two cats from _Lady and Tramp_, who slinked around each other and finished each other's sentences. Even though he was into hard rock, he used to love animal movies when he was five. Especially the ones with dogs.

"Get to the fucking point," he tightened his hold on her.

"She had something that belonged to Sasuke..."

"And she gave it back."

"Sasuke would like to thank her..."

"Tonight at midnight."

"Under the Eternal Tree."

"Alone".

Kiba gave them his _huh-come-again _face before looking Sakon dead in the eyes. "What kind of fucking game is Uchiha playing?" the twins' smiles widen at his voice.

"He wants to..."

"Express his thanks."

"And he couldn't say it himself?" he questioned, his hand forming into a fist at his side.

"Well he didn't know where to find her."

"So he sent us to go look for her."

It was a trap, he was sure of it. "Sakura," he bent his head to whisper into her ear, "Get out of here and don't look back".

"What?" she tried to look up at him but he held her head in place. "Get out of here and don't fucking look back for anything, understand? Don't listen to what these losers say, it's a trap okay?" He looked up at the twins and pushed her away, "Go!". She stumbled and ran away from them, her hair blowing in the wind she created. The twins continued to smile. "What ever that little fucker is planning you can tell him to quit it".

They smiled. Kiba could feel his anger fuel his power and acted on pure instincts. By punching the closest one of those bastards in the face.

It happened to be Sakon.

_**Pow**__, take that you little pansy ass motherfucker!_

His fist made a sickening impact when it connect to his pasty cheek. Sakon stumbled back and into his brother's arms who was in shock.

_Finally, the little bastards stopped smiling. _

Kiba smirked, massaging his knuckles. "He better not do anything to Sakura," he shoved them to the side and stepped between them, glaring. "Don't do anything stupid slaves." He walked away from them with a light heart but a heavy conscious. He didn't like use his position to his advantage but if it would save on of his closest friends he would do it.

Sakon growled and wiped blood away from his mouth. "You won't get away with this, Inuzuka," he yelled, fighting to stay awake.

Kiba stopped walking and turned, flashing them the cockiest grin. "Unlike you little fuckers, I'm a vampire," he showed them _his _fangs, eyes darkening, "Don't mess with the Inuzuka Clan."

_Booyah! _


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: _The whole Sharingan/ Byakugan blindess is pretty easy to understand. Instead of being an advantage like in the manga and anime it's a disadvantage. They become blind (there's a loophole I'll explain in later chapters) but it wears off after a few hours or so. It's just a way to control the slaves._**

****

**_The song 'My Girl' is owned by The Temptations. All rights reserved. _**

* * *

_"If we discovered that we only had five minutes left to say all that we wanted to say, every telephone booth would be occupied by people calling other people to stammer that they loved them." _

* * *

Sasuke stood under the Eternal Tree a quarter to midnight, leaning against the old bark. The Eternal Tree was said to be planted there by the First Vampire King. The first known vampire to leave Europe and establish a Clan of his own. The science teacher, Tsunade, was his great grand daughter and the vampire princess. The Academy itself was built on the First's land, the tree was said to be his favorite. It was a huge weeping willow type of tree whose long branches and leaves formed a curtain around who ever was under it.

He himself didn't want to be there. His curfew didn't matter, he often sneaked out from his room and walked around campus, smoking a cigarette. He didn't care what the deputy head said, cigarettes wouldn't kill him. His Master wouldn't allow it.

He just didn't want to see the girl.

He was surprised when she walked to his lunch table on Friday with her friends, his book in his hand. He didn't say thank you. There was no need. Her book was completely devoid of notes except for her name on the inside front cover. He would have used it for his English class even if it wasn't his but his Master had other plans.

_He opened to the door to his dorm room and wasn't surprised at the darkness. He could see the figure of a long haired man, wearing a long flowing robe. He still dressed himself as he would have four hundred years ago. His profile was familiar so Sasuke bent down on one knee and lowered his head. _

_"My pet," the man said, walking toward him. His feet were completely soundless. _

_"Yes Master?" he closed his eyes in respect. He had only once looked at his Master in the eyes. And never dared to again. Not only did the Snake Lord find it as a form of insubordination but he blinded Sasuke a minute after he had done it. 'It is the same as showing a hungry lion a piece of bloody meat and telling him not to consume it. If you show your eyes to me, my pet, I will blind them'. Cold, green, snake-like eyes haunted his thoughts from that day forward. _

_"I have heard the most interesting things from Kimimaro and Kin," Sasuke closed his eyes tighter. _

_He hated Kimimaro and Kin. _

_The former was his Master's right hand slave, who did every evil thing his Master asked of him. When the Snake Lord didn't want Sasuke to get his hands dirty, he called for Kimimaro. The latter, the fucking bitch, used to be his pleasure slave until Zaku asked for her hand in commitment. The Snake Lord was bored with her so he practically threw her to the other lowly slave. _

_"It seems as though someone paid you a visit during your lunch hour, am I correct?" _

_"Yes Master," he knew that little pink haired girl would come back to bite him in the ass. _

_Damn it. _

_"And she is the apprentice of the vampire princess, am I correct?" _

_"Yes Master." He heard his Master move away from him and toward his closed window. _

_"Rise my pet,", he commanded in his smooth, serpent like speech. Sasuke stood up straight but bowed his head, eyes stilled closed. "We can use this girl to our advantage. She is in close relations with _that slave_ and her connection with the Sage is very fortunate, isn't it pet?" _

_"Yes Master," he didn't really find it all that fortunate. And he knew who _that slave_ his Master was talking about was. _

_Naruto Uzumaki. Every since he was old enough to walk he had learned that name and learned to hate it for a reason he couldn't remember. As he grew older his Master told him that his destiny was to destroy the freed slave. Again for the same reason he couldn't remember. _

_"You will converse with this girl, swoon her, court her, do whatever you can to get her close to you. The closer she gets to you, the closer we get to _that slave_ and the Sage, right?" _

_He really didn't like were the conversation was going. And what did his Master mean by 'court her' and 'do whatever you can to get her close to you'? _

_"Tonight a midnight, you will meet her under the Eternal Tree. My other two pets have already sent the message, you will be there with one single rose bud."_

_How corny was that? A rose...it was just like one of those human movies with the fucking humans whispering embarrassing shit to each other while trying to make out. _

_Pathetic. _

_"Yes Master," he didn't want to do it. He didn't know the girl, he didn't want to know her, and his Master wanted him to become her boyfriend? _

_All because he wanted the Uzumaki dead? It wasn't worth it. Not. At. All. _

_Unfortunately, his Master sensed a change in his essence and turned back around. _

_"Is something bothering you Sasuke? Do you think that this plan is idiotic?" he marched forward, pinning Sasuke against the door by his neck. Long, rough nails embedded themselves in the soft flesh of his neck and cut off air his wind pipe. The Choking Game was a favorite of the Snake Lord but the slave's eyes remained closed. "Do you think that there is another way?" he squeezed the boy's neck, "Do you?" Sasuke opened to his mouth to try to breath but stopped his efforts when the Snake Lord squeezed harder. His eyes opened and he looked into his Master's green ones. The vampire sneered, showing his dripping fangs. "You opened your eyes Sasuke," he glared, eyes shining, "Sharingan." _

_Everything went black and Sasuke felt himself being dropped on the ground, blinded. His Master touched his head roughly, forcing him to meet his eyes with his red ones. "Don't be late, my pet, everything depends on your actions tonight." _

When his vision came back, and his Master was long gone, a red rose was on his bed. It was full and a deep scarlet color, the kind of flower that promised the whole world to one person. Dark dress pants, black sneakers, a white dress shirt and a black blazer hung in his closet.

What was he suppose to look like? Some fucking Romeo? It was his Master's doing.

Sasuke growled at no one in particular, clutching the flower in his fist. The soft swaying motion of the leaves was too peaceful for his liking.

His life wasn't supposed to be filled with peace.

He wasn't suppose to wait for fucking stupid girls, holding fucking flowers under the fucking moon like some fucking love struck human.

Fuck.

And he forgot the girl's name.

_Fuck_.

His Master was insane.

**Fuck**.

Why did he have to pretend to like her? Just to kill that blonde kid? The freed slave acted like a fucking human anyway, how hard could he be to kill?

His ears heard the sound of someone stepping lightly and he turned to his right. There was the girl. She was dressed in a pink skirt, a white shirt, white flats and a thin pink sweater.

She looked like she was going to church.

_...far from it little bitch. _

Her nervousness made her stumble around a lot and Sasuke thought she was going to fall.

And she did, face first into the hard ground.

_Out of all the fucking pathetic humans in the world, why did Master have to pick her? _

He pushed the leaves aside and walked over to her, making her aware of his presence. She looked up, a blush dusting her cheeks. "Stand up," he said, not even bothering to help her. Why should her care? He didn't make her fall. It wasn't his fault she couldn't even walk straight.

She stood on shaky legs, trying to wipe herself of the earth that covered her. Her white shirt was ruined. _Ha. _"Hi...Sasuke," she whispered, wiping her eyes. He could smell the tears that would soon trail down her face.

He hated tears. Especially human tears. Why did humans have to be so weak? And why the fuck did their defense have to stink so much? If tears smelled better, whatever _better _was to Sasuke, it wouldn't have bothered him as much.

"Don't...don't cry," he said in an unusually soft voice. He took her hand away from her face, "Here," and gave her the flower.

He gave her the mother fucking flower.

The moment he realized what he had done, his soul seemed to leave him. Or whatever soul he had left after all those years. It was exactly how his Master had planned it. Now the girl would think he was interested to her. Just like his Master wanted.

_**Fuck**_

"Is...is this for me?" she asked softly, taking the flower from him. Her eyes, glittering from her tears, looked up at him. The dim light made them glow.

"I'm giving it to you, aren't I?" his harsh tone made her flinch. He expected her to start crying again or run away from him in terror but she just gave him a little smile. What the hell? He yelled at her and she just smiled? Was she normal?

"Thank you, I've...never gotten flowers from a boy before."

Great.

Just great.

Now he would be part of some corny memory in her little pink head.

Perfect.

"Hn," he looked around, just in time to see Jiraiya walking a few yards away from them with a flashlight. He grabbed her, she made a little sound of surprise, and ducked under the tree. He pinned her against the trunk to hide her vibrant color and put a hand over her mouth to silence her. Her warm breath against his cold hand made him uncomfortable.

Heat in general made Sasuke uncomfortable. Nothing could bring him out of his room on a sunny, summer day. In the old days, slaves were kept in frozen cellars and chilly attics until they were needed. Some slaves were punished by being chained to oven racks or being left on hot roofs in the middle of the Summer Solstice. As an Uchiha, and as the only living member of an eternal slave family line, he was accustomed to the cold. Strangely, it comforted him.

"I've got sunshine on a cloudy day," the vampire sang, his voice low and melting into the night air. "When it's cold outside, I got the month of May." Sasuke could barely contain his snort at how whipped he sounded. He never expect a Sage to sound so...pathetic. The girl started to giggle against his hand, her breath hot. He looked at her and pressed his hand further into her mouth, touching her lips. She stopped laughed and just looked at him, breathing easily against him. "I guess you say, what can make me feel this way..." Jiraiya stepped through the foliage and stopped sweeping his flash light when he saw someone's back. Some boy's back. "My girl..." His vision narrowed in on the person and he saw that he wasn't alone.

It was the Uchiha boy and Sakura...against a tree...in the middle of night...alone.

"What the hell do you think you two are doing?" the flashlight shined in their faces. They stepped away from each other. The boy didn't look shocked but the girl was stunned beyond belief. She clutched a rose in her hand and looked down at it, ashamed. The whole situation made Jiraiya confused. Sasuke...and Sakura...and a rose? "Alright both of you come with me, we're going to see the Head Master right now."

"Professor Jiraiya!" Sakura reached out and hooked herself to his arm, "Please you can't tell the Head Master about this!"

"Sakura, you know the rules concerning curfew."

"I know and I'm really sorry but please...," she looked at him with those innocent green eyes, "We weren't doing anything bad and you know how Ms. Tsunade is about following school rules. She won't tutor a trouble maker."

There she said. The one thing she knew that would cause Jiraiya to crack into millions of pieces. Tsunade. He sighed, rubbing his forehead. "This better not happen again, Sakura you go back to your dorm. I'll escort Mr. Uchiha back to his." She knodded and took one look at Sasuke, smiling softly.

"Bye Sasuke," she walked away quickly, stumbling on a few rocks.

"Hn," his eyes never once left Jiraiya's black ones. They stood in a tight silence until the older vampire put his hand on the younger slave's shoulder.

"I swear to everything I love, Sasuke, if your Master has anything to do with you and Sakura tonight...," he paused to collect his thoughts, not knowing which direction to take. Intimidation wouldn't work. Threats wouldn't work. "Just...don't do anything stupid." The young man was unfazed. He crossed his arms and knodded, a bored expression on his face. God it was like staring at a younger picture of the Snake Lord, very young. "I mean it, Tsunade is known to be an avenger," he glared, "You would know something about that right?"

That made Sasuke's jaw clench, his eyes reflected the taller man. Jiraiya was referring to a when Sasuke was a rebellious freshman and tried to free himself and kill his Master for his dead family. Who all died under service to the Snake Lord, compensation for what Madara did to him. He called himself an avenger and swore he would escape servitude, even if it killed him. It didn't succeed and his Master only tightened the hold he already had on him. The terms 'pet' and 'favored slave' where thrown around to make it seem like the Snake Lord really cared, when he was just keeping Sasuke aware of his position.

_Slave. _

"Humans aren't like you," Jiraiya continued, steering him toward Nin Hall, "They aren't like me either. You can't just play around with emotions and expect everything to be okay."

Sasuke wasn't listening, he hardly ever did. What the Sage said never applied to him, he was above his authority. But he played along, just to be safe. Jiraiya raised _that slave _and in order to get close to him he had to get through his guardian first.

When they arrive at Nin Hall, Jiraiya gave him one hard look before disappearing into the night. He left a smirking Sasuke in his wake, _maybe this will be fun after all. _Jiraiya watched him from a safe distance away, enhancing his senses to see and hear Sasuke if he spoke. Forget the Snake Lord as a young man, he looked more like Madara with that smirk. And how he hated Madara. That was before the Toad Hermit's time but he remembered the stories of Madara a Lord had told him when he had asked about the Snake Lord.

_"At the beginning, Madara Uchiha was just a depressed, scared little human boy who had no family. The Snake Lord took him in as an apprentice but Madara's selfish nature caused him to be turned into a slave. He hated it but served the Snake Lord with pride because he believed that he would inherit everything as his sole slave. When the Snake Lord took on more slaves for his dark cause, Madara became jealous and acted out. While walking in the town one night, he spotted a newly turned vampire thirsting for blood. He put himself directly in the vampire's path and was almost sucked dry. But he had achieved his dream. He was a vampire and the Code of Fang states that 'no vampire can control another vampire as a slave'. When Oro-...I mean when the Snake Lord heard this, he was furious." _

It was taboo to say his birth name when referring to him. The elders and young ones alike said the Snake Lord or Snake Charmer or even Lord Snake Eyes, but never his name. It was equivalent to the old human fear that they could call the Devil himself by saying his name out loud.

_"He demanded Madara submit to him but Madara refused. He was fully vampire, talked like one too, even had the Snake Lord's eyes. You know that humans or slaves change in appearance when they are turned, yes? Well Madara dressed himself like the Snake Lord did, talked like he did, and wore his mane like he did. The Snake Lord was even more infuriated but he didn't show it. He asked Madara what he would give him to compensate for his favorite slave. It was then that Madara promised his future children, and their children and their children for generations to come...to the Snake Lord as permanent slaves. The Snake Lord agreed but only if he had many children and their children had many children." _

What kind of creature would promise his own offspring like that?

But as Jiraiya stood there he could see, and feel, how much of Madara was in Sasuke. He wondered if eventually Sasuke would promise his children to the Snake Lord as well. He looked like he would. The proof was in the smirk that Madara had copied from the Snake Lord and was etched into his blood.

_Even the Snake Lord is in that boy_, he smoothed down his spikes a bit, before walking away, _It's only a matter of time... _


	7. Chapter 7

_"You can close your eyes to things you don't want to see, you can close your ears to things you don't want to hear, but you can't close your heart to things you don't want to feel"_

* * *

Science class was Sakura's favorite period of the day. Not only did her tutor, the Great Tsunade, teach it but she sat next to the funniest people in the world. Naruto and Kiba. The desks were arranged in groups of four and she sat in the middle of the room, next to Naruto Uzumaki. He made a joke out of everything and Sakura dreaded the day when they talked about sex. He would laugh the entire period. Across from her was Kiba and she was surprised to know that he actually did his work in class.

When she told him that he tried to look offended and said, _"What it's cuz of the piercings right? Damn Sakura I didn't know you were a piercist." _

_"A what?"_

_"A piercist. You know, someone who's prejudice against people with piercings." _

_"Kiba, there's no such word." _

_"Yah there is, your just mad cuz you're a piercist." _

_"Sakura's a penis?" Naruto came back from the bathroom and heard the last thing Kiba had said, and asked the question loudly. The people around them snickered, looking away when she glared. Damn it Naruto. _

_"Well you know what they say,"Kiba leaned back on his chair, raising the front legs, "You are whatchu eat." She had slammed her book against the hands that held him stable, causing him to flip his chair back. The class erupted into laughter. _

_"Kiba, what the hell are you doing?" Tsunade walked over to him and put her hands on her hips. _

_He had looked up, drowsy with a big grin on his face. He noticed her chest had almost blocked out her face. "Heh heh enjoying the view?" The class laughed and Tsunade smacked him over the head, walking away frowning. _

_The nerve... _

_A hand extended down to help up and he used to it stand up. The quiet boy went back to his work when the other one was on his feet again._

_"Thanks Gaara", he looked at Sakura, "At least someone's not a piercist."_

_"If it helps Kiba", she winked at him, "You're a pervert!" _

_Naruto had smiled, flashing Kiba a ha-ha-ha-ha-ha look. __"We've all got flaws," he put the legs of his chair down and sat on it, "Piercist."_

That had been the best ice breaker for the group. Gaara still didn't to them but Naruto talked to him all the time. The two were friends since freshman year when Naruto had accidentally bumped into him. Gaara was much angrier back than and had pushed Naruto away, only to feel ashamed in doing so. It was a miracle that the two got along so well. The red head hardly talked and the blonde talked all the time, non stop. But they were both good people. A little weird but good.

That particular Monday, Sakura was feeling less than perfect. Not only could she not stop thinking about Sasuke Uchiha but she had cut on her writing hand that she had never noticed before. When she didn't see it, it was painless but the moment she looked at it, it started to burn.

Weird. It was from the rose no doubt, the one she placed on her dressed when she got back. Ino and Tenten had already known where she went and who she met with and they didn't approve.

_What if he's just using you? _

_What if it's a trap like Kiba said? _

_Damn it Sakura, think about it for a moment. A guy you never said two word to before today has indirectly asked you to meet him under some tree. Don't you think it's a little suspicious? _

_What if it's not Sasuke but some horny physco? _

_What if he rapes you? What if he murders you and dumps your body somewhere then comes back for your cute blonde friend and the sporty chick?_

_..._

Leave it to Ino to think of the worst case scenarios first.

Sakura wasn't that naive...was she?

She had sneaked out after Ino had been asleep and met him under the tree. It was so romantic. He was dressed so well, better than she thought he would. And she had ruined the moment by tripping and falling into the dirt. Smooth. He didn't help her up but she knew he wanted to, by the way he talked to her. Rough and aggressive. Like he wanted to grab her, throw her against something soft and have wild passionate sex until she lost her voice.

_Whoaaaa too much, _she had thought and blushed. She was about to cry from embarrassment but when he told her _"Don't...don't cry" _and gave her the rose she wanted to hug him. It was her first flower from a boy and she told him, watching the way the remained expressionless. O...kay. Then he had pinned her against the tree and covered her mouth. She really believed he was going to try something before she heard Jiraiya singing. She relaxed and started to laugh at her nervousness, causing him to press his hand harder against her lips.

His hand was cold.

And he smelled like expensive cologne.

Sexy.

Then when Jiraiya caught them she thought it was the end before she played the Tsunade card. Also known as the Get Out of Jail Free card when it came to Jiraiya. He loved her, that everyone knew, but he was too stubborn to say anything. And Tsunade was too stubborn to ask.

_I bet if she did, he would jump on her and have wild, passionate..._she blushed in her seat. It was perfectly normal for a sixteen year old to have sex on the brain but she had never thought of it as much as she did after seeing Sasuke. He had done something to her and she couldn't under what it was.

Was she crushing on him? Or was it just that she had never thought of...it...with a boy before him. It was something to think about.

"Hey Sakura," Naruto asked, looking pensive.

_Naruto? _

_Pensive? _

_Hmmm, you don't see that every day. _

"Yes Naruto?" she saw his blue eyes fall down to her hand, which she held in her lap.

"What happened to your hand?"

Kiba noticed their conversation and paused copying his homework, his eyes widening.

He could smell _him_ all over her, including her mouth.

Especially her mouth.

"You met with Sasuke last night!" he yelled, confused and hurt. The students in the class were startled and looked over to him, one by one. He had just started some interesting rumors and half truths and he didn't even know it. "What?" he questioned, angry, "Say something, fuckers".

"Kiba," Tsunade came out of her shock and kept handing back the test scores, "Stop using that language."

"Sorry," he glared at Sakura before looking back to his book. The only one of the Snake Lord's whores in that class was Tayuya and she couldn't help on the smile that crossed her face.

Naruto looked from Kiba's steaming eyes to Sakura's confused expression, completely lost. "Sakura," he tugged on her shirt a little, getting her attention and asked, "What did Kiba mean? Did you really meet with Sasuke?"

"Yes," she whispered, snapping back into reality.

"After I warned ya not to go to him, ya did anyway!" Kiba suddenly yelled, his tongue ring flashing dangerously, "How stupid can you be Sakura?"

Her face turned serious. Kiba had never spoken to her like that. She didn't know what the big deal was. She didn't get the cut from Sasuke so why was he stressing it?

"It's not your business Kiba," she whispered softly. She didn't want to make him angrier. Out of the four of them, Gaara included, none were as confused as her. Not even Naruto, who was so confused he settled back down to doing his work. His work!

"The hell it is my business! You don't know who he is, what he does, and what he can do to you! I'm trynna look out for you but..."

"And telling me I'm stupid is looking out for me Kiba?" she copied her homework, looking up at him once.

Tsunade was at their table then, handing back their papers.

"Look I'm sorry, okay, but just promise me something. Promise that you won't see him again, please promise me that."

The blonde teacher looked over to the boy, his worry written all over his face. His piercings didn't look so dangerous anymore, not with that sad face.

"I'm sorry Kiba, I can't do that," her words broke him, causing him to wince.

"Fine," he pulled his chair back, standing up. His chair fell, "Do whatever you want, see if I care. But the moment he breaks your heart don't come runnin' to me cuz I won't give a shit."

"Kiba shut up!" Naruto glared at him, "If she wants to be friends with Sasuke then let her."

"You don't understand Naruto, he's not good enough for her."

"And who are you to judge?" Sakura said to him, "You don't even know him."

The brown haired boy scowled at both of them, feeling like a corner street dog.

"Besides," Naruto went back to his work, writing in his slanted, chicken scratch way, "He didn't do anything to her."

"But he can. You don't know how seriously fucked up he is."

"Then why don't you tell her instead of sitting there like a jealous asshole," Naruto, stood up as well, meeting his glare.

"Naruto, Kiba take this outside," Tsunade walked away from them, "You two are too noisy for my class." She knew that whenever Kiba was excited or angry about something nothing she said could calm him down. She would speak to him privately after all his classes ended about his behavior.

The boys followed each other out silently, muscles clenching. The students closest to the door peeked out, trying to see the grand fight. But nothing happened. They were just standing there on opposite walls with crossed arms.

"Let's go," Kiba walked down the hall away from him, "There are some things you need to know". Naruto followed, their polished shoes making the only sounds in the quiet hall. "You know what ya are right?" he asked the blonde, walking down a flight of stairs.

"I'm...Naruto, right?" Kiba paused on the step, looking back at him. "Not who ya are, what ya are idiot. You're half vampire." Naruto closed his eyes, uncrossing his arms.

"I knew that, I didn't think you knew that," He paused, looking confused, "How do you know that?"

"Cuz I'm part blood sucker too, duh. It's easy to tell. Notice the ultra sexy fangs," he pointed to his lengthened canines.

"Then...is Sasuke...?" he started, trying to see if he was finally caught up. He saw Kiba shift his weight from one foot to the next, fingering his eyebrow piercing.

"No, he's not," he looked up, "He's worst. He's a slave." There was a brief silence.

"I used to be a slave, do you hate me too?"

Kiba sighed, "You don't get it Naruto. You used to be one and ya former master didn't want ya as a slave. He was a good man. That guy's master is a physco, he don't care about anything and anyone."

"That doesn't mean that Sasuke is like that," poor naive Naruto. Always thinking about the good in everyone else.

"Sasuke is his fucking lap dog," he continued on his way down the stairs, "He says jump, Sasuke says how high."

"But...where are we going Kiba?"

"Nurse's office, Shizune can explain it better to you."

_The school nurse?_

"Shizune? Really?"

A knod, "She knows everything that's going on in this school."

They walked to the first floor, with its elegant maroon walls, crystal chandeliers and soft carpeting, and headed to the nurse's office at the end of the hall.

"Ummm...ahhhh..."

"Ohhh...Shizu..."

…..

They looked at each other.

Naruto blushed up to his hairline while Kiba had a nice, big smile on his face.

"I didn't know Shizune offered those services. I need to consult her about giving me _my _physical."

The opened the door without knocking first, seeing an unbelievable sight. Well Kiba saw the sight, Naruto caught a white dress shirt with his face and tried to disentangle himself from it.

"Ahh get it off! Get it off! Get if off! ", he scratched at it, breathing a sigh of relief when it fell on the floor. His blush deepened when he looked up.

Shizune was pinned on her desk, her shirt off, looking at them upside down. Her shirt was riding up to her chest and her fingers where in the man's brown hair. Genma was between her legs, his belt hanging off and his hair mushed up. His shirt was off, sweat glistening everywhere, and his hands were up the woman's skirt. His eyes were dark with lust and anger at being disturbed.

_Bad time?_

"Ummm," Naruto was beet red and stuttering to find the words, "Hi...Nurse Shizune."

Can anything be more awkward than walking in on the school nurse and the history teacher?

"Naruto!" she yelled, sitting up and trying to hide herself among the muscular arms that surrounded her.

Genma sighed, "Do you mind?"

"No go right ahead," Kiba leaned against the door frame. "Hellllllo nurse."

Genma wasn't amused. "So help me God Kiba, if you don't turn around right now I'm gonna fail you."

Kiba smiled more, "I'm not even in your class anymore, teach". The teacher paused for a moment, looking down at the shivering woman in his arms. She was so red he thought she was going to pass out.

"Naruto, pass me my shirt please."

"I don't wanna touch it," he backed away from the shirt in front of him.

"Damn it just pass me the damn shirt."

"G-Genma," Shizune whispered, "Go easy on them."

"Here," Kiba walked across the room and handed them the shirt, smirking at the nurse.

"Th-thanks," she whispered to him. He answered with a knod.

"Call when you're done _changing_. Disgraceful," he pretended to look disgusted, "What would the Vampire King say?"

The looked at up him in shock, Genma grinding his teeth in her ear. "You wouldn't."

Kiba paused for dramatic effect but laughed after a few seconds, "Yea, you're right. Besides, Naruto here needs to have _the _talk. And I'm due to have my shot anyway."

"_The _talk?" Shizune asked.

"Yea."

"Fine, get out," Genma grabbed his shirt and draped it around her shoulders.

Kiba and Naruto closed the door after them, looking around the quiet hallway.

"Are they together?" Naruto asked him, the blush almost leaving his face.

And that's when Kiba remembered.

Naruto was so out of sync with the vampire world because when he was freed by the Third Vampire King, he was set to live a normal human life. That was why he had human friends, except Kiba who was almost as human as vampires got. He didn't know about the lives of older vampires and vampire customs, or even other vampire slaves.

"I think so. They've been dancing around each other for years. This is the first time I've ever seen them like that."

"You can come in now", Kiba opened the door to see Shizune wearing her white coat with a syringe in her hand. The red liquid inside it shimmered in the light.

Naruto took a step back at seeing it. "Is that blood?"

"No, of course not", Shizune rolled up Kiba's sleeve and pointed the head of syringe on the outside of a vein. "It's simply a mineral that helps young mixed vampires retain their essences".

"Essences?", Naruto looked over to Genma, who was sitting at Shizune's desk with his head down. The desk was across the room and the area surrounding it smelled peculiar.

"Yea", Kiba winced when the needle penetrated his skin, "Full blooded vamps don't have blood, they have their essence. Half vamps only have their human bloods but it balances their half vamp essence. And vamps like me, who got more human blood than vampire essence, need this shot to keep our essences".

"Forever?".

"Nah. I just take it once a year till I'm twenty".

"Why twenty?".

"Because", Shizune emptied the mineral into his blood stream, stepping back when she finished, "When a mixed vampire turns twenty, their essence matures enough to coat their bloodstream and remains there until they...pass".

Kiba bit his lip as his arm began to shake uncontrollably, he grabbed it with his other hand.

"It's like a drug," Naruto watched Kiba closely, his eyes wide.

"It's known in some vampire communities as vampire heroin because of its strong affects on mixed vampires."

"What's happening to him?".

"It's normal, his body is responding the essence. The small amounts of his old essence will attack the spot for the next hour or so until it calms down."

Kiba tightened his hold on his hand, hissing through his teeth. His usually short and sharp canines sprouted to the top of his chin. He growled then like a wild animal and clutched his furry head. The veins on his slim arms rose up on his tanned skin, trying to escape what coursed through his body.

"Are you sure it's normal?" Naruto backed up from Kiba even more, he feared his friend would pounce on him.

"Yes Naruto, it's worse when he's more human than vampire. Genma, tell Naruto what happened when Mistress Tsunade used to give you your shots."

The man in questioned opened his eyes and yawned though he couldn't help the color from rising to his face.

"I...I used to faint."

That snapped Kiba out of his pain and he smiled, his fangs poking him dangerously. He howled in laughter, slapping his knee with jubilance. He looked like a wolf laughing its ass off.

"Ah! Ha! Ha! Ha!," he cackled. Naruto himself joined in on the fun, missing the way the older teacher glared at him.

"Naruto, you just failed my class."

He instantly sobered up, "Awww but why?".

The nurse laughed at both of them, leaning against the hospital bed, "Now what _talk _did you want me to give Naruto."

"The why-Sasuke's-a-fucking-bastard-talk".

"Kiba, language".

"Shizune," he whined, looking down at his arm, "You sound just like Tsunade when you say that."

Her eyes brightened when he said that, her bottom lip shaking, "I...I do?"

In the background, Naruto heard Genma mutter, "Now you've done it."

"Uhh...so about Sasuke..."

Shizune's sparkly eyes turned dull as she disposed of the syringe and took off her rubber gloves. "Sasuke...he's a very hard person to explain."

"You mean he's not just _his _ass wipe?"

"No," Genma interjected, sliding his chair away from the desk. He picked it up and set it down behind the black haired woman. He wound his arms around Shizune's waist, pulling her back into his lap. She blushed but didn't complain, getting comfortable.

"Stop squirming," he whispered into her ear, she blushed harder, "There are little ones present."

"Hey!" Kiba frowned, "We're not little and stick to the topic, please. Geez, old people can't seem to stay on point these days."

They both glared at him, Genma's arms gripping Shizune tighter.

_Little runt..._

"Back to Sasuke," Naruto running a hand through his hair, "What can you tell me about him? What makes him so dangerous?".

"What doesn't make him dangerous," Kiba crossed his arms, fingering his cross.

Shizune sighed, "We should start at the beginning."

Kiba stretched, "This could take a while."


End file.
